The text raises excellent questions about ethical issues related to using techno

Question

The text raises excellent questions about ethical issues related to using technology in genetics.

How do you feel about cloning?

Where would you draw the line?

As the text states, most of us are against cloning humans, but what about cloning other life forms, such as fruit flies for research, or cows for greater milk production?

What about cloning human organs for transplantation to replace an individual’s diseased or damaged organs?

Note that an advantage of being able to clone your own organs (for example, your own kidney because you were born with a genetic kidney disorder) may likely eliminate – or at least reduce – the need for antirejection medications that suppress a person’s immune system.  

Explanation / Answer

Cloning is one of the most advanced genetic technologies which generates several genetically identical copies. There are various types of cloning like the reproductive cloning, therapeutic cloning, and the replacement cloning. One of the major disadvantages to cloning is a reduction in genetic diversity.

Cloning the plant life forms and animals for genetic endowment overcoming the slow breeding is very advantageous and cost-effective in generating a higher and faster produce with the desired characters such as the disease resistance and improving the food chain supply. It is also useful for research purpose in order to study cell differentiation. The model organisms are often cloned for experimentation. Cloning of life forms helps in saving the endangered species, and also recreating the lost extinct life forms preserved in fossils or the rebirth of dead pets.

Cloning an entire human being seems to be unrealistic, technically difficult and economically not feasible involving high risks. It is illegal and also unethical because it would compromise the safety of the person involved by giving way to an identity crisis as well as cultural inheritance issues. There are other complex problems as well regarding the misuse of human clones for criminal and terrorist activities.

However, cloning of organs is very much useful to clone parts of the genome for medical purpose for the reduction in death due to genetic disorders. Therapeutic cloning has proved to be advantageous in many aspects such as enhancement of tissue healing, nerve cell regeneration, organ transplantation, for developing embryos, generating stem cells, reduction in antirejection, reduction in organ donors, providing organs for handicaps, stem cell therapy, germline gene therapy for generating a cure for the immunodeficiency and autoimmunity, slow aging, advancement in regenerative medicine etc. The reduction in infertility has a greater emotional advantage to the couples.

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